Thought Leadership > Our Sustainability Journey & Environmental Impact

AST Luxury Store’s original motto was “saving the planet one handbag at a time.” To the world, it’s only half-joking, but we mean it.

Since 1999, AST Luxury Store has been continuously learning and developing to minimize its impact on the environment. Our business model is inherently sustainable and extends the life of these ultra-luxury products. We continue to implement more sustainable initiatives in our daily operations to better improve AST Luxury Store’s internal business activities. Here's what you need to know.

our research

From purchase decision criteria to end-use behavior, we found that the lifespan of luxury handbags significantly exceeds the lifespan of “fast fashion” handbags. This is because luxury shoppers are more likely to invest energy in taking care of them. Luxury goods can also be made better under ethical working conditions and using high-quality materials that are built to last. Being able to discover and wear bags that were made 20 to 30 years ago.

While Kantar’s research gives us some insight into luxury shopper behavior and why luxury goods last so long, we need to know more. Our comprehensive assessment of the importance of Ecodrive involves some of our most popular products here at AST Luxury Store. We found that materials do have an impact, and producing products can take a toll on the environment. From handbags and shoes to jewelry, every channel of material production has a negative impact on the air, water, and surrounding ecosystems. Choosing used equipment can save countless pounds of carbon emissions and tons of water. But this isn’t the only environmental assessment we conduct. As they say, it starts from the inside out.

AST Luxury Store’S INTERNAL EFFORT

In addition to our research, we also conducted an extensive assessment of the environmental impact of AST Luxury Store’s internal business activities. First, starting in 2021, we began tracking and reporting energy usage across all facilities. Our 2021 emissions footprint (recorded in metric tons of CO2e) includes Scope 1 (own sources): 18.85 and Scope 2 (purchased electricity/gas): 210.66. Additionally, FASHIONPHILE is a founding member of the Policy for Circular Textiles (ACT). We are also conducting a B Corp assessment, which will require an extensive assessment of FASHIONPHILE’s environmental and social footprint.

Facility and shipping improvements include a newly created dashboard with details on third-party emissions used by Fedex and UPS shipping. We found that our total energy consumption in 2021 was 896.75 metric tons of CO2. We also launched a FedEx Pilot Program partnership to help offset some emissions from inbound shipments. Our New York City certified center and showroom in Chelsea now offsets all electricity generated by purchasing green renewable energy credits to fund new renewable energy projects across the United States. There are also compost bins throughout the building, eliminating food waste and emissions from landfill, thereby eliminating health concerns. Last but not least, FASHIONPHILE has gone solar! This upgrade alone reduced the scope 2 emissions of purchased electricity by almost 20% in just 1 year. Learn more about our sustainability initiatives here.

AST Luxury Store is constantly learning and developing to minimize its impact on the environment. As a company that values sustainability, we will always continue to learn, develop and improve in all aspects of our business. Through ongoing research and internal evaluation, we strive to minimize our environmental footprint and become a better company for the environment, communities and customers.